I remember reading (forgetting where) that it's indeed from back in Pawtucket.Al Zarilla said:
Red Sox Spring training thread
- Thread starter soxhop411
- Start date
geoduck no quahog said:
This article attempts to show heavier players peak earlier and fall off the map north of 30
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-will-prince-fielder-age/
Obviously, there is a lot of variance. The spectrum ranges from David Ortiz to Mo Vaughn. Pablo derives a fair amount of his value from defense though, and his regular season offensive peak seems behind him, so the latter part of his deal might not be pretty
I was surprised to hear what Gordon Edes said on WBZ's Sports Final. He thinks it's going to be Ramirez - Castillo - Victorino in the OF with Betts filling in at all 3 spots for 400+ ABs.
One the one hand, I think that's a slightly terrible idea.Harry Hooper said:
On the other hand, I have a disproportionate amount of love for the hit who can come in and steal a base late in the game.
On the third hand, if they're talking behind the scenes about getting Mookie playing time, maybe it's just softening up for the inevitable.
Sprowl said:
That was a pretty great outfield, but if we're talking about playing time balance, it's misleading to leave out the 211 PA that went to Jason Bay.
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe 44s44 seconds ago
Of note from Ben Cherington: Blake Swihart will not be tried at different positions any time soon. Staying at catcher
Of note from Ben Cherington: Blake Swihart will not be tried at different positions any time soon. Staying at catcher
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey 4m4 minutes ago
Cherington says Ortiz knows he's going to be a Red Sox as long as he wants.
Cherington says Ortiz knows he's going to be a Red Sox as long as he wants.
Mike Petraglia @Trags 4m4 minutes ago
Cherington says Ortiz knows "he can stay in Boston as long as he wants"
Cherington says Ortiz knows "he can stay in Boston as long as he wants"
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey 59s60 seconds ago
Cherington also noted there's a good chance all the outfielders on their current 40-man will be with organization at start of season.
Cherington also noted there's a good chance all the outfielders on their current 40-man will be with organization at start of season.
Tim Britton @TimBritton 3m
3 minutes ago
Henry wonders if team has rushed some minor-leaguers given the gap between Triple-A and majors.
3 minutes ago
Henry wonders if team has rushed some minor-leaguers given the gap between Triple-A and majors.
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe 3m3 minutes ago
Henry says minor league talent in #RedSox system is high. But says some prospects were "rushed."
Henry says minor league talent in #RedSox system is high. But says some prospects were "rushed."
Scott Lauber @ScottLauber 2m2 minutes ago
At a time when payroll about to climb to $200M for luxury tax purposes, Henry says #RedSox more "discerning," esp in regard to free agents
At a time when payroll about to climb to $200M for luxury tax purposes, Henry says #RedSox more "discerning," esp in regard to free agents
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe 1m1 minute ago
Henry says Larry Lucchino remains in charge of the #RedSox
Sean Leahy @leahysean 2m2 minutes ago
John Henry: 'There's no power struggle' in #RedSox ownership
Michael Giardi @MikeGiardi 2m2 minutes ago
John Henry insists that Larry Lucchino still runs the Red Sox. #redsoxnation #redsox #redsoxtalk #SpringTraining
Henry says Larry Lucchino remains in charge of the #RedSox
Sean Leahy @leahysean 2m2 minutes ago
John Henry: 'There's no power struggle' in #RedSox ownership
Michael Giardi @MikeGiardi 2m2 minutes ago
John Henry insists that Larry Lucchino still runs the Red Sox. #redsoxnation #redsox #redsoxtalk #SpringTraining
Sean Leahy @leahysean 1m1 minute ago
John Henry: 'There's no appetite for us to move' out of Fenway Park #RedSox
Tim Britton @TimBritton 12s12 seconds ago
Henry talked a lot about being "discerning" with finances and being more willing to take risks on younger players than older.
John Henry: 'There's no appetite for us to move' out of Fenway Park #RedSox
Tim Britton @TimBritton 12s12 seconds ago
Henry talked a lot about being "discerning" with finances and being more willing to take risks on younger players than older.
soxhop411 said:
Barring injury, it looks like the only realistic way for this to happen is for Betts to start the season in AAA.
Joe Shlabotnick said:
I thought the same - he looks lean. It might also be to do with standing beside Sandoval. If you want to look slim, stand beside the fattest dude you can find. Papi found him quickly
soxhop411 said:
I wonder if bringing this up right now is sort of pre-seeding the narrative for optioning Mookie to start the season.
John Henry's recent comments (today, and throughout the off-season) about the Red Sox being more discerning about spending money on older high-ticket players yet more willing to spend it on young players comes as music to my ears. This is NOT merely an aesthetic preference, but a belief that the best way to build a long-term great team is by finding and investing in great young players and keeping them. Ownership truly seems to have learned a lesson from the 2009-11 spending spree that got the team off track. Fingers crossed.
Savin Hillbilly said:
Of course it is. If there's anything that the Red Sox FO has strived to do consistently over the last decade or so, it's maximizing their resources. Right now, they have to operate as if all of their assets will be healthy, productive and on the payroll (i.e. not traded or released) on Opening Day. We've seen them do it multiple times with bullpen assets over the years (sending down the arguably better younger pitcher to hang on to a veteran on a short leash). They nearly did exactly that last year until Victorino came up lame (sending down JBJ in favor of Sizemore). They may be in a position where they do it this year, and Betts and Castillo are the most likely odd men out given they have options where the other guys don't. And with Castillo's contract, that makes Betts the odds on favorite to be optioned.
If they operate on the assumption that either someone will definitely get hurt or will definitely be moved in a deal, they could paint themselves into an undesirable corner.
Yeah, I do not really get the "rushed" argument. If Betts was rushed, then Vazquez was rushed and no one is talking about sending him back down.
I don't think Henry's comments specifically refer to Betts so much as JBJ, Middlebrooks, and to an extent Bogaerts. Farrell is more the one sowing the seeds of Betts starting the year in Pawtucket with his talk of Victorino being the starter in RF and there being a "competition" for CF amongst Castilo, Betts, and JBJ.
https://twitter.com/hanleyramirez/status/570307074661474307
https://twitter.com/hanleyramirez/status/570307074661474307
link to tweet
https://twitter.com/hanleyramirez/status/570307074661474307
link to tweet
@HanleyRamirez: I finally got him back @JosephKellyJr #2013NLCS #MyRibStillHurtsBro http://t.co/KI08UKvt3s
Papi does look good. Nice to see...
Re: Farrell/Henry OF-related comments: Seriously, what are these guys supposed to say? "We eff'd up our roster construction and have WAAAAY too many OFs and /1B/DH types. If everyone's healthy, we're gonna have to just dump a guy for pennies on the dollar come the end of spring training. Man, what were we thinking?"
- Tell the veterans you've got their back.
- Let the younger/newer guys know that they don't all have F/T gigs locked up in February.
- Keep other teams guessing about what your plans actually are.
- See how things shake out. Deal with any actual surplus when you actually have one and need to deal with it, not before (i.e. not now).
Seems like a rational approach to me.
Re: Farrell/Henry OF-related comments: Seriously, what are these guys supposed to say? "We eff'd up our roster construction and have WAAAAY too many OFs and /1B/DH types. If everyone's healthy, we're gonna have to just dump a guy for pennies on the dollar come the end of spring training. Man, what were we thinking?"
- Tell the veterans you've got their back.
- Let the younger/newer guys know that they don't all have F/T gigs locked up in February.
- Keep other teams guessing about what your plans actually are.
- See how things shake out. Deal with any actual surplus when you actually have one and need to deal with it, not before (i.e. not now).
Seems like a rational approach to me.
soxhop411 said:
I went back 10 years and looked at some of the "successful" Red Sox minor league hitters (stretched for Varitek) and their debut year/age, ignoring "taste of the big league" call-ups:
Garciaparra: 1997 : 23 yrs
Varitek: 1998 : 26 yrs
Youkilis: 2004 : 25 yrs
Nixon: 1999 : 25 yrs
Hanley: 2006 : 22 yrs
Pedroia: 2007 : 23 yrs
Ellsbury: 2008 : 24 yrs
Moss: 2008 : 24 yrs
Murphy: 2007 : 25 yrs
Lowrie: 2008 : 24 yrs
Reddick: 2011 : 24 yrs
Middlebrooks: 2012 : 23 yrs
__________________________________
Bogaerts: 2014 : 21 yrs
Betts: 2014 : 21 yrs
JBJ: 2014 : 24 yrs
JH is obviously referring to Bogaerts and Betts when it comes to position players, and not JBJ. It's true, given my selective list, that these 2 are the youngest good players called up in the last 10 years, and that most of the successful ones debuted at an average of 24-25 years old.
I don't know what to make of that.
https://twitter.com/hanleyramirez/status/570307074661474307soxhop411 said:
link to tweet
That HBP: http://youtu.be/pLAbdqDmESw
geoduck no quahog said:
I don't think it's remotely obvious that he's referring to Bogaerts and Betts while excluding Bradley. I rather assume it's the other way around. Bogaerts had 1623 minor league plate appearances, Betts 1379, and Bradley 1058.
I have to think the "rushing" is related to the amount of time the player is in the system rather than their physical age. Bogaerts started his pro career at a younger age than JBJ for example and had nearly a full season more time in the minors before his call-up. He was arguably more ready at 21 than JBJ was at 24.geoduck no quahog said:
Red(s)HawksFan said:
I think it's even more specifically about time in the upper minors. Here are the upper minor times, before their first call-up, of the recent young position players:
Middlebrooks: AA 96 G / 397 PA; AAA 40 G / 160 PA
Bradley: AA 61 G / 271 PA (After beginning the 2013 season in Boston, AAA 80 G / 374 PA)
Bogaerts: AA 79 G / 356 PA; AAA 60 G / 256 PA
Vazquez: AA 116 G / 481 PA; AAA 67 G / 274 PA
Betts: AA 54 G / 253 PA; AAA 45 G / 211 PA
With the exception of JBJ in 2013 (if you roll his beginning of the season Boston time into his AAA time), none of them has spent a full season in AAA. And except for Vazquez and Bradley, barely a full season between AA and AAA combined.
I stand corrected fella's.
The comparison between the 2014 rookies and former Red Sox rookies should be done based on minor league service time (not age). I'll look at that when I have a chance. Also, I ignored pitchers because it was too much work. I also forgot about Vazquez.
The comparison between the 2014 rookies and former Red Sox rookies should be done based on minor league service time (not age). I'll look at that when I have a chance. Also, I ignored pitchers because it was too much work. I also forgot about Vazquez.